deep into the soil of eternal realities. Firmness is no more obstinacy than the stony rock is the deep-rooted oak, Ill. A demand for MANLINF.SS. "Quit you like men." Be courageous, invincible, well equipped, manly. Be a_n ideal man; you can be nothing higher than this, nothing greater. There are great philosophers, great poets, great statesmen, great orators, great warriors, who are small men, if men at all, leagues away from the ideal. A great functionary is often a very small man. "Quit you like men." Be heroes in the strife. Here is- IV. A demand for CHARITY, "Let all your things be done with charity" or love. Man's life consists of many acts, many "things done." Activity is at once the law and the necessity of his nature. He onl_y really lives as he acts; inactivity is death. But whilst the acts of men are numerous and varied, the animating and controlling spirit should be one, and that spirit is love. Vers. 16-18.-Our duty to the truly useful. "I beseech you, brethren," etc. The subject of these verses is our duty to the truly useful, and- I. FoR THE TRULY USEFUL WE SHOULD CHERISH THE HIGHEST RESPECT. There are three useful persons that Paul mentions here. " Stephana.s." He was one of Paul"s first converts of Achaia; he and his house were baptized by Paul, and he and his family were "addicted" to the ministries of love. "Fortunatus and Achaicus" are also men- tioned here. To these three personages Paul calls the special attention of the Corinthi:rns, and that because they were useful. They had all ministered to Paul. The latter ha,l supplied to him what the Corinthians had neglected, and they refreshed both his spirit and theirs; hence for this be says," Acknowledge ye them that are such." The tntly useful are the truly honourable. A, man is to be honoured, not because of his ancestry, his office, his wealth, but because of what he is morally, and what he does generously in the way of helping the race. '!'be philanthropist is the true prince. II. WITH 'l'HE TRULY USEFUL WE SHOULD HEARTILY CO-OPERATE. "That ye submit yourselves unto such, and to every one that helpeth with us, and labouretb." 1. Co-operate with useful men. 2. In your co-operation let them tuke the lead. They have proved themselves worthy of your co-operation. Vers. 19, 20, 23, 24.-Salutations. "The Churches of Asia salute yon," etc. On these salutations we cannot do better than transcribe the remarks of F. vV. Robertson :- " We make a remark respecting salutations generally. This Epistle has many, but they are not so numerous as in that to the Romans. In both of them individuals are mentioned by name. It was no mere general assurance of attachment he gave them, but one of his personal knowledge and affection. "l. ST. PAUL'S PERSONAL CONSIDERATIONS WERE NOT LOST IN GENERAL PHILAN- THROPY, That because he entertained regard for the Churches, and for bodies of men, he did not on this account ignore the individuals composing them. It is common enough to profess great interest and zeal for humanity whilst there is indifference all the time about individual men. It is common enough to be zealous about a cause, about some scheme of social good, and yet to be careless respecting individual welfare. But St. Paul's love was from Christ's own Spirit. It was love to the Church generally, and, besides, it was love to Aquila and Priscilla. And is not this, too, the nature of God's love, who pro\(ides for the universe, and yet spends an infinity of care on the fibre of a leaf~ "II. THE VALUE OF THE COURTESIES OF LIFE. '!'hero are many minds which are indifferent to such things, and fancy themselves above them. It is a profound remark of Prescott's that·' liberty is dependent upon foqns.' Did not the solemn, slow change in the English constitution, and our freedom from violent submersions, arise from the almost superstitious way in which precedent has been consulted in tho manner of every change? But what is of more importance to remember is, that love is dependent upou forms, courtesy of etiquette guards and protects courtesy of heart. How many hearts have been lost irrecoverably! and how many averted eyes and cold looks have been gained from what seemed perhaps but a trilling negligence of forms I"
Vere. 21, 22.-A negative crime and a poaitive punishment. "If any man love not," etc. ·The words contain two things. 55G THE FITIST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. [cu. xvI. 1-24.
I. A 1'""EGATIVE CRIME. "If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ," etc. ,vo make three remarks on this state of mind in rclntion to Christ. 1. lt is unreasonable. There is eYcrything in him to call out the highest love. There are three kindij of love to which we are sn~ccptiblc, and which arc incumbent on us-gratitude, esteem, and benevolence. The first requires a manifestation of kindness; the second, of moral {)Xcellcncc; the third, a purpose for the common good. Christ manifests all these ~nd therefore deserves our highest love. 2. It is ascel'tainable. We can soo~ :i scert~in wh_ethcr wo love_ Christ or not. There are i~falliblo criteria. For example, 1 t ,1e ch1_ef obJect of love will ~lways be (1) the engrossing subject of thought; (2) the flttract11·e theme of conversat10n; (3) the source of the greatest de\i<1ht in pleasing· (4) the most transformative power of character; and (5) the most ide~tified with ou: conscious life. 3. It is_ d~plorable. This love is the only true regulative power uf the soul. Where this 1s not, all the powers of our nature are misemployed, and all is confusion. II. A POSITIVE PUKISHMEKT. "Let him be Anathema Maran-atha." These words intimate two things concerning the punishment. 1. Its natu1·e. "Let him bo Anathema." The word expresses some terrible amount of suffering. It is one of Paul's strong words to express a terrible evil. Excommunication from all that is pure aud good and happy is undoubtedly involved. The soul cut off from Christ, its Centre, Root, Fountain, Life, is utterly destroyed. 2. Jts certainty. "Maran-atha," which means, "The Lord will come." This word is probably introduced by Paul in order to convey the certainty of the destruction of those who "love not the Lord Jesus Christ." Paul had written the other part of this letter by an amanuensis, but to write these terrible words he takes up the pen himself. "The salutation of me Paul with mine own hand." lie felt the utmost recoil of heart for those who "lo,·e not the Lord Jesus Christ," and had the most overwhelming idea of the m,3ery 10 which such will be exposed. Men are accursed, not merely because they hate Christ, rebel against his authority, and profane his ordinances, but because they do not love him.